I'm trying to find someone to start my 4 year old and it seems like the horse training/colt starting market is FLOODED with "Natural Horsemanship".

It scares me a bit to be honest. I just want someone to put 30 days on this colt. I don't need a horse whisperer.

Obviously I know nothing about Natural Horsemanship lol, but it seems to me that since there are SO many "natural" trainers that it must be fairly easy to started in, meaning that maybe a lot of these people aren't very credible? Or is it just a huge fad right now?

"Natural Horsemanship" is just an advertising gimmick. After all, nobody advertises "Un-Natural Horsemanship practiced here!!" and if you claimed "Conventional Horsemanship" people would think you were going to beat and torture the horse into submission.

I'd suggest pretending you don't see "Natural Horsemanship" and interview trainers the same as you would if none of them claimed that. Ask around for references.... people are MORE than happy to talk for hours about trainers that did a great job with their horses. Ask at Tack Shops, ask your Vet, heck you can even post on Craigslist asking folks for references an listen to what they have to say. When 20 people come back and say the exact skills a trainer taught their horse and how happy they are, that's what you want vs 3 people yapping about how their horse came back and is now their BFF Forever and gives cuddles, hugs and would never ever squash them into the ground because they have the bestest bond in the whole world!

Great advice and great post. It's the same subtle marketing as instructors saying they teach "Balanced Seat" riding. I don't know exactly what that is, but I sure don't want to learn Unbalanced Seat or Crooked Seat, so Balanced Seat sounds good!

Great advice and great post. It's the same subtle marketing as instructors saying they teach "Balanced Seat" riding. I don't know exactly what that is, but I sure don't want to learn Unbalanced Seat or Crooked Seat, so Balanced Seat sounds good!

I've been seeing more events advertised as balanced seat. I think its a more generic and friendly term because sometimes advertising a specific discipline may turn people off. If you ride X you may not want to go to a dressage or hunter or saddleseat clinic, but balanced seat? Maybe - it sounds new, shiny and different but still applicable!Posted via Mobile Device

Ya don't avoid it. My trainers western pleasure/rope horse was a josh Lyons back up demo horse :) I rode him for the first time last week and it was amazing light light ques and mostly rode off leg. It worked for him but just like anything else some methods don't work for some horses so I agree with interviewing each and doing tons of research no matter what :).

It's more like common sense horsemenship. Some marketing genius just gave all these "games" a single term and started making the big bucks. Communicating through pressure and release, lunging for respect and using a halter and some form of driving aide is nothing new. To me you cannot be a "natural horsemen" unless you can turn into a horse, and that would be groundbreaking! You can try to understand and communicate using things they understand (ie pressure and release) but you will never communicate like a true horse........ Unless you have long ear, a trail and a wrinkle-able nose.Posted via Mobile Device

Humans spent thousands of years taking a horse out of the wild and breeding all the 'natural' out of it then suddenly want to turn them back to that - isn't going to happen without some casualties along the way
As more and more NH trainers seem to be spending vast amounts of time doing what really amounts to trick training before they even sit on the horse - which all adds up to more money - I'm thinking there will be a gradual welcomed return to common sense training because its all gone too far now
A good way to judge a trainer is to be able to see their results so I'd be inclined to start there, have your horse well prepared before it goes away so its mentally ready for someone to make that next step

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